ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF MAJOR VEGETABLE CROPS IN KULLU VALLEY OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
Loading...
Date
2020-11
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
NAUNI,UHF
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Economic Analysis of production and marketing of major vegetable
crops in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh” was carried out in Kullu and Naggar blocks of district Kullu on
the basis of highest area under vegetable cultivation. The multi-stage random sampling procedure was adopted
to select the respondents. Compound annual growth rate was used to analyse the trend in vegetable cultivation
and various cost concepts were used in order to calculate the benefits realized from vegetable cultivation. The
results of the study indicate that about 64.09 per cent of the surveyed people were engaged in agriculture. The
major vegetable crops grown were tomato, cauliflower and pea. The cropping intensity in the study area was in
the range of 150.66 to 173.58 which indicates that there is a scope to improve farm management for better
returns. The overall cost of cultivation was worked out for three major crops and it was found highest in tomato
(Rs.129036.00/ha) followed by pea (Rs.125674.51/ha) and then cauliflower (Rs.104969.00/ha).The net returns
were found highest in tomato (Rs.144266.00), despite the high cost incurred in its cultivation, followed by
cauliflower (Rs.125021.00) and pea (Rs.112361.43). The Cob-Douglas production function determines the
efficiency of each resource used and it showed that labour and plant protection had significant impact on tomato
production whereas seed, FYM, labour and fertilizer had significant impact on cauliflower production. In case
of pea, FYM, labour and plant protection had significant impact on the pea production. The efficiency ratios for
the significant variables in all the vegetables were greater than unity. It is thus concluded from the analysis that
the vegetable growers in the study area were not using the resources efficiently. Four main marketing channels
were found prevalent in the study area for marketing of vegetables. Among these channels, channel-B consisting
of Producer- wholesaler- retailer- consumer was found to be the most preferred channel as more than 50 per cent
of the produce was disposed off through this channel. Problems like non-availability of labour at operation time,
high wage rates, high transportation charges, limited market information and lack of storage facility were the
major production and marketing problems reported by the farmers in the study area.